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Building Management Hawaii April/May 2014 - (Page 40)

Locking Down The Leaks A road map to handling plumbing issues and water claims. By Sue Savio InsuranCe M ost condos are having plumbing issues of some sort due to the age of the buildings, since many were built in the 1970s and 1980s. Many claims are coming from the individual water-bearing appliances that are in each unit, such as icemakers, washing machines, water heaters and so forth. Other claims are coming from the common element pipes. No matter what's causing your water claims, you'll need to be actively involved in getting the leaking to stop. We suggest a building-wide plumbing inspection every 7 to 10 years. The AOUO common element pipes should be cleaned out every year or two. When an owner is remodeling, ask to check the pipes behind their unit wall to see the condition they're in. It's cheaper to replace pipes if you don't have to also replace cabinets. If you've already done all of this and are still having leaks, then it's time for the difficult and, unfortunately, often expensive fix. 40 April-May 2014 BMH Individual Unit Appliance Leaks The easiest and least financial strain on an association as a whole is individual appliance leaks. The cost to repair those appliances is borne on the backs of the individual unit owners. But just advising your owners that appliances are aging and they need to be replaced is not enough. Boards need to hire a licensed plumber and do a plumbing inspection. The plumber is tasked with going into every unit and looking at every water-bearing appliance. Then a list of what's in need of repair or replacement is left with the unit owner and a copy is given to the management firm or resident manager. This is necessary, as each owner should be given a deadline of 30 or 60 days to prove they repaired or replaced their appliance. If you are in 514B and have a high-risk policy, you have the capability of getting this done. Common Element Leaks But what if you did a plumbing inspection several years ago and your leaks are now coming from the common element pipes? This will be an expensive fix. Pipes may be behind concrete walls, and for some townhouses, they're even under the concrete slab. It will cost thousands of dollars if you're a small low-rise, and millions if you're a high-rise. But you have no choice. Condos that have done their pipes are being forced by their insurance companies. A leak a week is not acceptable. The master policy has to cover the damage to the www.buildingmanagementhawaii.com http://www.buildingmanagementhawaii.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Building Management Hawaii April/May 2014

Editor’s Note By Stacy Pope
Hawaiiana Hits The Big Five-0
CONCRETE Restoration and Repairs: Maintaining A Strong Foundation
Concrete Spalls, Cracks And Leaks
Should You Repair Or Replace?
Restoring Exposed Aggregate Surfaces
Preserving A Historic Treasure
ELEVATOR Modernization: Are You Losing Energy?
Greening Your Elevators
Upgrading On A Budget
INSURANCE: Locking Down The Leaks
Navigating Property Insurance
COOLING TOWERS: HVAC Chemical Feed Pumps
Waikiki’s Oldest Hotel Keeps It Cool
Industry News or Movers & Shakers
On Site: Self-Management 101

Building Management Hawaii April/May 2014

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